Engendering politics and parliamentary representation in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This paper discusses the trends and patterns regarding the participation of women and men in parliamentary politics in Zimbabwe from the first democratic elections in 1980 to the 2008 elections in the context of global and regional trends. The main objective of this paper is to review both quantitative and qualitative data concerning the progress made in the direction of promoting women’s participation in politics against the background of Millennium Development Goals targets and other international targets to which Zimbabwe is a signatory. One of the targets of the 3rd millennium development goal is to increase the ‘proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments’. The period of focus is between 1980 and 2013. The paper notes that the current levels of women’s representation in parliament remain below the world average of 19%. The various causes of this are highlighted and discussed leading to recommendations in tackling the issue.